Car coupler



' July 26, 1932.

H. WOLFE CAR COUPLER Filed April 10, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 26, 1932.

CAR C OUPLEH Filed April 10,1929 2 Sheets-$heet 2 H. H.'WOLFE 1,869,035

Patented July 26, 1932 UNITED STATES,

SPATENTJ OFFICE HARRY H. WOLFE, or ooLUMBUs, onro, nssrononrro THE BUCKEYE STEEL cns'rmos COMPANY, or COLUMBUS, OHIO .7

CAR COUPLER Application filed April 10,

This invention relates to car couplers and more especially to a novel coupler shank.

It is well known that couplers, due to the severe buiiing stresses to which they are subjected, decrease in lengt-h, and it has been found from investigations of couplers which have been in service for considerable periods of time, and also from test results, that most of the shortening of the shank takes place in i the region extending from the butt end of the shank to the front end of the key slot.

Due to the compression strains which the couplers are forced to undergo, the walls at the butt end portion of the shank have a tendenc-y to bulge outwardly, and the butt surface acquires a concavity. Furthermore, this contraction of the shank may shorten the key slot to such a degree as to interfere with the ready insertion or removal of the key.

The primary object of the present invention is to overcome these disadvantages, and to provide improved reinforced coupler shanks for use with the A. R. A. standard or any other coupler head.

With the foregoing object outlined and with other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention con sists in the novel features hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view, partly in horizontal section, of one embodiment of my improved coupler shank.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in vertical longitudinal section of the same.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Figs. at and 5 are views similar to Figs. 1 and 2, but of a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional View of the modified form, taken on line 66' of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view on the line 77 of Fig. 1.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, A indicates the hollow shank of a coupler, which is pro- F, vided with parallel top and bottom walls 2 and 3, which may be of gradually increasing in an fective bearing area.

1929. Serial No. 354,001.

thickness toward the key slot 1. The side walls 5'and 6 converge toward the key slot.

In the region of the key slot, I have reinforced the shank by extending webs or posts 7 and 8 from one side wall to the other, and by joining these key bearing posts, at the front and rear of the key slot, directly to the in service, shows that, due to high bufling forces, the walls of theshank tend to bulge outward at about the section X X, and this bulging in turn tends to draw the butt wall inwardly, thus forming a concave bearing surface on the butt which considerable wear will not eradicate. Couplers in service about five years showed a strip about inches wide around the butt hole 16, which was not in bearing. To eliminate this difficulty, I have arranged a reinforcement 17 within the hollow butt end portion of the shank, and the vertical arms 18 of this reinforcement are integral with the top and bottomwalls 2 and 3, the butt wall 15, and the neck portions 9 which oin the top and bottom walls proper to the top and bottom walls 11 and 12 of the key slot.

The horizontal arms 19 of this reinforcement are integral with the side walls 5 and 6. the butt wall 15, and the horizontal post 7. These vertical and horizontal ribs 18 and 19, placed in the butt end portion of the shank. stiffen the walls, thus preventing bulging and shortening of the shank at this point. They also prevent the butt bearing surface from becoming concaved, and thus reducing the ef- It will be observed that the ribs 18 and 19 tie in the butt wall 15, all four shank walls and the rear key bearing post 7 Instead of extending the top and bottom walls of the shank toward one another at the key slot portion of the shank, I may move the top and bottom walls of the key slot out, as shown at 20 and 21 in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive,

to join the top and bottom walls 22 and 23 of the shank, and I prefer to do this in such manner that a gradual change of section is obtained. Full key bearing is provided for the full thickness of the key by arranging projections 24 on the Walls 20 and 21, and extending these projections tran'sv'ersely entirely across the key slot 25. It will be noted that Wide reinforcing ribs 26 form the upper andlower surfaces of the keysldtjandatfas Wearing surfaces for the flat side-ofthedraft key (not shown).

In both embodiments of the invention, I

prefer to make the post 8 ofpgradually-increasing thickness from its central portion :toward its ends and I as best-shownv in F igil,

this ,post' may be reinforced by vertical =ribs 27, which are :integral with the parts 2, 3, 8 and 10.

.10 From the "foregoing, it is believed that'the construction, :and advantages of =the invention -ma3y be readily understood, and :I am aware that changes may-be made in the deetilllSfllSClOSQd, Without departing :from the spirit -:of the invention a-s expressed in the claims.

hat 'I claim and desire to-secure by iLe'tters rBatent is:

1. A'-coupler -shankhaving top:and bottom 30 Walls, and provided With :a:-key slot having :top andbottom Walls, the top and bottom -W-a'lls of the key slot :forming eo'ntinuations of the t'op and bottom Walls of the shank, certain of said Wall's being provided 'Wlth de- 85 3P1GSSlODS adjacent the-'key-slot, and reinforc- .ing ribs arranged in said depressions and integral Withsaid =WdllS ofthe shankand the walls of Lthe-key slot.

2. A hollow -coupler shank including :top,

bottom and side Walls joined at itheir'ends toa butt Wall, -front-and rear key bearing posts extending across the :shank and :hav-

ing their ends integral Withthe side WflllSa'df the shank, top and bottom key :s'lot -wal1s "having their ends i'meriging into :the top I and bottom -Wfill'S0fthe'shank :and said-keybearing posts, and reinforcing ribsconnecting .said key bearing posts-t0-.the'-top and bottom Walls of 4 the shank, the "top and bottom key slotwalls being providedwvith depressions,

and reinforcements arranged in fthedepressions and integral with the =.top and bottom keyslot walls.

In testimony whereof, :Lhave signed this specification.

HARRY 

